Iron Chef Optimization Challenge In The Playground XXX

Amphetryon · 02-18-2012, 08:08 PM

Welcome, contestants, judges, and guests to Iron Chef XXX. Here in Optimization Colosseum, contestants will endeavor to create an optimized and flavorful character using a specified D&D3.5 prestige class as a "Secret Ingredient".

Contestants: You will need to present a write-up of your build at at least one of the following points: 5th level, 10th level, 15th, 20th, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build, as well as presenting a fully-fleshed out 20-level build in the table below. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:

Menu: For most challenges, the "special ingredient" will be drawn from Core plus Completes. There will, from time to time, be special challenges that showcase secret ingredients from other books--for example, the XPH.

32 point-buy is the presumed creation method, but we have generally allowed other levels of point-buy.
If you do use a different point-buy, please make your case for its necessity in your entry. Keep in mind that for using exceptionally large or small point-buys may warrant deductions in elegance and/or power.

Kitchen: Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon magazine is disallowed, and Unearthed Arcana is allowed; but see Elegance below. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere, as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Also, item familiars are forbidden because I hate 'em. This comes up often enough to bear mention in the rules: Dragon Compendium is allowed.

Cooking Time: Contestants will have until 11:59PM GMT on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 to create their builds and PM them to the Chairman, Amphetryon. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 11:59PM GMT on Saturday, March 17th, 2012 to judge the builds and submit their scores. If no judges have scored by that point, only the scores of the first judge to submit will be counted. If you do not have access to the current challenge's Secret Ingredient, please do not volunteer to judge this round.

Judging: Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Power, Elegance, Use of Secret Ingredient.

Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. In the words of one of my predecessors, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.

Elegance could bear a little elaboration. It basically measures how skillfully you put your build together, and whether you sacrificed flavor for power. We're cooking here - if your dish doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter how well-presented it is. Use of flaws is an automatic loss of one point per flaw in this category. Other things that will cause lost points here are excessive multiclassing, and classes that don't fit the concept - using Cloistered Cleric in a front-line melee fighter, for example, will lose you points. Please note the following change: a legal source's relative obscurity should not be considered as penalizing Elegance, excepting the aforementioned issues with Unearthed Arcana. Using too many sources may be an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion, but a book's relative obscurity may not.

Presentation: Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries!

Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.

Spoiler

NAME OF ENTRY

Level	Class	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Skills	Feats	Class Features
1st	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
2nd	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
3rd	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
4th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
5th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
6th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
7th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
8th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
9th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
10th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
11th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
12th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
13th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
14th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
15th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
16th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
17th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
18th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
19th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities
20th	New Class Level	+x	+x	+x	+x	Skills	New Feats	New Class Abilities

Code

Spoiler

For entries with spellcasting, use the following table for Spells per day and Spells Known. (Spells Known only if necessary, i.e. Sorcerer or Bard, but not Wizard or Warmage)

Spoiler

For other systems (Psionics, ToB, Incarnum, etc.) keep track of PP/maneuvers/essentia separately, preferably in a nice neat list.

Speculation: Please don't post or speculate on possible builds until the "reveal," in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

Leadership is banned; we're producing a meal, not a seven-course banquet for a hundred diners. If your entry includes a prestige class or ACF that grants Leadership or a Leadership-like ability as a bonus feat, the feat should be ignored and is not eligible to be traded away for another feat of ACF through any means.

So! Who wants to sign up as a contestant, and who wants to sign up as a judge? Looking for as many contestants and judges as feel like playing!

This week's special ingredient is:
Book of Exalted Deeds' Initiate of Pistis Sophia!
We will award 1st through 3rd places, as well as a shout-out for honorable mention. The honorable mention prize is given to the most daring or unexpected build. Judges, contestants and guests alike are invited to vote for honorable mention via PM.

Allez optimiser!

Contestants

Judges

The Builds

Past Competitions

Iron Chef I: Entropomancer
Iron Chef II: Psibond Agent
Iron Chef III: Cancer Mage
Iron Chef IV: Stonelord
Iron Chef V: War Chanter
Iron Chef VI: Master of Masks
Iron Chef VII: Green Star Adept
Iron Chef VIII: Pyrokineticist
Iron Chef IX: Animal Lord
Iron Chef X: Mythic Exemplar
Iron Chef XI: Blade Bravo
Iron Chef XII: War Mind
Iron Chef XIII: Vigilante
Iron Chef XIV: Seeker of the Song
Iron Chef XV: Drunken Master
Iron Chef XVI: Assassin
Iron Chef XVII: Ardent Dilettante
Iron Chef XVIII: Unseelie Dark Hunter
Iron Chef XIX: Dread Pirate
Iron Chef XX: Incandescent Champion
Iron Chef XXI: Ghostwalker
Iron Chef XXII: Dervish
Iron Chef XXIII: Divine Crusader
Iron Chef XXIV: Tactical Soldier
Iron Chef XXV: Scion of Tem-Et-Nu
Iron Chef XXVI: Shadowdancer
Iron Chef XXVII: Mindbender
Iron Chef XXVIII: Cryokineticist
Iron Chef XXIX: Consecrated Harrier

deuxhero · 02-18-2012, 08:12 PM

No BoEF for 30?

Fearan · 02-18-2012, 08:23 PM

Now speak about one hell of a PrC. It's not even open for entry before 13, without freaking VoP

Zaq · 02-18-2012, 08:40 PM

Huh. Do they get Improved Evasion twice? That's a hell of an editing slip, there. It's not even worded the same way.

flabort · 02-18-2012, 08:42 PM

#*$@%&# /&$!
*starts sobbing at the thought of Exalted Feats*

You know? How hard? Those are? to fit? onto a? character that? needs to? be nuetral? and something? else to? enter the? Secret Ingredient? with the? Base Class? you want?

Hopefully this class doesn't need to be lawful

... give me a moment to check.

Zaq · 02-18-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flabort

#*$@%&# /&$!
*starts sobbing at the thought of Exalted Feats*

You know? How hard? Those are? to fit? onto a? character that? needs to? be nuetral? and something? else to? enter the? Secret Ingredient? with the? Base Class? you want?

Hopefully this class doesn't need to be lawful

... give me a moment to check.

~~It doesn't SAY it needs to be lawful~~, (EDIT: Ka-derp. Yes it does.) but you have to be lawful to take one of the entrance feats. Kinda. Well, unless you can get Ki Strike (lawful) without being lawful, but that's edging close to speculation.

Amphetryon · 02-18-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flabort

#*$@%&# /&$!
*starts sobbing at the thought of Exalted Feats*

You know? How hard? Those are? to fit? onto a? character that? needs to? be nuetral? and something? else to? enter the? Secret Ingredient? with the? Base Class? you want?

Hopefully this class doesn't need to be lawful

... give me a moment to check.

In which flabort discovers the reasons Amphetryon felt Initiate of Pistis Sophia was a good choice for Iron Chef.

Plus, there was something just *right* about combining Iron Chef XXX with the Book of Exalted Deeds, and a PrC that offers Vow of Chastity.

dextercorvia · 02-18-2012, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaq

It doesn't SAY it needs to be lawful, but you have to be lawful to take one of the entrance feats. Kinda. Well, unless you can get Ki Strike (lawful) without being lawful, but that's edging close to speculation.

My copy of BoED says Requirement: Lawful Good. Am I reading the wrong PrC? Please let me be reading the wrong PrC.

Jeriah · 02-18-2012, 09:10 PM

Ugh... I think I may end up judging again...

Amphetryon · 02-18-2012, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dextercorvia

My copy of BoED says Requirement: Lawful Good. Am I reading the wrong PrC? Please let me be reading the wrong PrC.

Mine does too, FWIW.

Zaq · 02-18-2012, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dextercorvia

My copy of BoED says Requirement: Lawful Good. Am I reading the wrong PrC? Please let me be reading the wrong PrC.

No, I'm just a derpface.

Jeriah · 02-18-2012, 09:39 PM

Are we aware that one of the prereq feats requires "ki strike (holy)" but that there is no such thing in all of 3.5, and that it isn't addressed in the errata?

Fearan · 02-18-2012, 09:49 PM

It doesn't. It requires ki strike (lawful)

Thurbane · 02-18-2012, 09:50 PM

Wow...this has quite possibly the toughest reqs of any IC so far. I'll have to read that over a few times before I decide whether I'll try an entry...

Amphetryon · 02-18-2012, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeriah

Are we aware that one of the prereq feats requires "ki strike (holy)" but that there is no such thing in all of 3.5, and that it isn't addressed in the errata?

Sanctify ki Strike requires "ki strike (lawful)"; the other prerequisite feats don't, themselves, have feats as prerequisites. Could you clarify what you mean?

Zaq · 02-18-2012, 09:58 PM

You're thinking of the feat Holy Ki Strike, which itself requires "ki strike (holy)," an impossible requirement. Sanctify Ki Strike is fine.

TroubleBrewing · 02-18-2012, 10:15 PM

In like Flanagan. This should be a fun one.

Hunter Killer · 02-18-2012, 10:33 PM

It's quite funny that this prestige class offers both Vow of Chastity and Vow of Abstinence, because Amphetryon really #@%!-ed us with this one.

ShneekeyTheLost · 02-18-2012, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunter Killer

It's quite funny that this prestige class offers both Vow of Chastity and Vow of Abstinence, because Amphetryon really #@%!-ed us with this one.

Q. F. T.

I... I don't much like BOED to begin with. This is one of the reasons why.

I see very little in the way of flexibility for entering. And I don't see many ways for this PrC to go. Getting a high Originality score will be difficult, I suspect.

Gotterdammerung · 02-18-2012, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShneekeyTheLost

Q. F. T.

I... I don't much like BOED to begin with. This is one of the reasons why.

I see very little in the way of flexibility for entering. And I don't see many ways for this PrC to go. Getting a high Originality score will be difficult, I suspect.

The fluff in the beginning even says everyone who enters has at least a dip into monk, so yeh originality will be hard.

Not to mention power. If you do anything... anything at all you will overshadow the SI. Because SI does absolutely nothing.

deuxhero · 02-18-2012, 11:35 PM

This class has a vow of chastity? Tell me it was picked for XXX ironically.

flabort · 02-18-2012, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amphetryon

Plus, there was something just *right* about combining Iron Chef XXX with the Book of Exalted Deeds, and a PrC that offers Vow of Chastity.

Seems so.

Rhatahema · 02-18-2012, 11:41 PM

Maybe they printed improved evasion twice because you they knew you already picked up improved evasion as a 9th level monk on your way to Ki Strike (lawful).

I'm aware that Dragon Magazine is disallowed, but does that also include Dragon's 3.5 Oriental Adventures update? I imagine it is disallowed, but it'd be helpful to know.

gbprime · 02-18-2012, 11:46 PM

Ouch. Not lawful aligned attacks, but actually Ki Strike (Lawful). If there's a way to get that OTHER than Monk 10... uh... I'm keeping it to myself.

Zaq · 02-19-2012, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhatahema

Maybe they printed improved evasion twice because you they knew you already picked up improved evasion as a 9th level monk on your way to Ki Strike (lawful).

Good hell. I hadn't even noticed that. Yeah, this class has a couple issues, let's say. Anyone who manages to actually finish it on time has my applause.

BobVosh · 02-19-2012, 03:15 AM

Exalted deeds? Bah, I don't have that at my house. I think I left it in my parents attic. This is one of the few classes I can't even remember looking at.

The only 2 other ones like that in these competitions I can remember is that crazy hippo one, and the online one.

Scion of Tem-Et-Nu, and Unseelie Dark Hunter.

Fearan · 02-19-2012, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbprime

Ouch. Not lawful aligned attacks, but actually Ki Strike (Lawful). If there's a way to get that OTHER than Monk 10... uh... I'm keeping it to myself.

I found one. It's probably even crappier then monk 10

Arbitrarity · 02-19-2012, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fearan

I found one. It's probably even crappier then monk 10

Seriously? I was looking at how to ignore feat prerequisites or copy abilities. Of those options...
VoP gives bonus feats from a list without specifying you need to qualify for them. I'm 90% sure that doesn't fly.
REDACTED
Pun-pun.

TroubleBrewing · 02-19-2012, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arbitrarity

[stuff that might need editing]

Arbitrarity, this is a serious nitpick on my part, but I'd edit that last post for fear of being called out on speculation. You could give someone ideas they might not otherwise have...

Dumbledore lives · 02-19-2012, 05:25 AM

Oh monk why are you so monk-like.